No methadone clinic coming to downtown Riverhead

Rumors of a methadone clinic moving into the former Internal Revenue Service building downtown are false, the building’s owner said Tuesday.

“That is not true,” said Joseph Martirano, an owner of the property on East Main Street. “Somebody started this whole thing. I don’t know where it came from.”

The building, which has been vacant since the IRS left the building in January, is currently up for lease and there is a party interested in the property, Mr. Martirano said. But that potential tenant is not a methadone clinic, he said.

“We don’t have a deal with anybody right now,” he said. “We are talking with somebody, but those that we are talking to have nothing to do with methadone.”

The rumor of a clinic moving into the downtown building was discussed at a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting, with several downtown business owners publicly stating they were concerned the rumored clinic would hamper their business.

Town officials said they would look into the rumors at the event, though they were skeptical they were actually true. Town Supervisor Sean Walter said he had heard of the rumors as well, but said he couldn’t find any evidence to support them.